Dottie Donohue Sanders

Anyone who knew Dottie knows that it is impossible to do justice to her life in a few paragraphs, but here's the official obituary. I love you, Mom. I will miss you every day, forever. I can't believe you're gone....

Dorothy Dottie Jeanne (Donohue) Sanders was born on January 19, 1944 in Montclair New Jersey, to the late Regina Donohue and the late Morton Donohue. She passed away peacefully at home in her sleep on June 21, 2018 in Oak Harbor, Washington. Dottie is survived by her loving husband Kent Sanders, mother-in-law Frances Sanders, her son Ralph Gabrielli, daughters Jennifer Gabrielli and Matoaka Mihill, as well as son-in-law Jeff Steber, sisters Maureen Donohue and Sharon Van Der Beak, and grandchild Abbey Steber. She was preceded in death by her beloved daughter-in-law Tonya Gabrielli. Dottie earned her Bachelor's degree in Art and Masters in Education from SUNY New Paltz, NY. She raised her children in upstate NY for over a decade and made the bold decision to move her family to Nome, Alaska, where she taught Art, English and Drama at Nome-Beltz High School, and met her husband, Kent Sanders, the school's Chemistry teacher. After a decade of teaching in Nome, the couple moved to Nikiski, where they both worked as educators at Nikiski High School. Upon retirement, Dottie and Kent made their new home on a piece of land in Washington state they had fallen in love with and purchased years earlier. The move to Whidbey Island was daring, as they knew no one in the area and felt isolated from friends and familiar surroundings. Those feelings did not last, as they soon made a large circle of friends and made the island their own.A lifelong artist and teacher, Dottie was happiest when she was around other people. Whether in a classroom, at a dinner party or just passing by on a street, she had a natural ability to make instant friends and could easily connect with people in a way that made each of us feel important. She was known to make friendships with hotel staff, airline employees and have long conversations with people who she met on "wrong-number" phone calls. She loved to share her exuberance for life and learn about the experiences of others. Her energetic nature, heartfelt communication and loving spirit will be remembered dearly by all of us whose lives she touched. Friends and family members may attend the celebration of life, officiated by Jennifer Gabrielli, on Saturday, June 30 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Home of Kent and Dottie Sanders, 1560 Crosby Road, Oak Harbor, Washington 98277.

Dottie Donohue Sanders and her daughter, Jennifer Gabrielli